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Established by Fiera Bolzano with the patronage and scientific contribution of the Politecnico di Torino and the Università Iuav di Venezia, and in collaboration with PEFC Italia, theWood Architecture Prize 2026 by Klimahouse promotes a vision of architecture in which wood is not merely a technical solution or an ecological choice, but a true cultural device, capable of responding to new ways of living and learning.
It is no coincidence that the 2026 edition was inaugurated by a keynote speech from architect Enrico Molteni, who refocused attention on the value of architecture as a service to the community. Speaking about schools and kindergartens as inclusive, flexible, and welcoming spaces means recognizing the project’s active role in shaping communities, where wood becomes an empathetic material, capable of creating human-scaled educational environments. The winners were selected from the shortlisted finalists by a jury chaired by Manuel Benedikter and composed of seven leading figures from the fields of practice, research, and innovation: Sandy Attia (MoDusArchitects), Marta Baretti (Arbau Studio), Guido Callegari and Paolo Simeone (Politecnico di Torino), Mauro Frate (Iuav), and Luca Gibello (Il Giornale dell’Architettura).
The awarded projects clearly embody this vision. The Big Zip – A House for Happy Cows by Studio act_romegialli overturns a functional program often relegated to the margins of architectural debate: a cowshed that becomes a replicable model for other service-related functions, demonstrating how spatial quality and structural clarity can coexist.
The New Lower Secondary Schools in Primiero by Mimeus Architettura with Studio Campomarzio translate the theme of education into a domestic interpretation of public space: a “school-home” organized around a large central atrium that fosters relationships and a sense of community.
TheMultifunctional Building in Barbiano, designed by Roland Baldi Architects and funded by the PNRR, explores the relationship between architecture and landscape. Two independent buildings, located on opposite sides of the road, house a kindergarten, a nursery school, a children’s restaurant, and a tourist office, becoming a territorial infrastructure that engages with the site’s topography. Wood, left exposed with an authentic materiality, is also featured in the interiors, creating a calm atmosphere particularly suited to children. 
Alongside the winners, the special mentions further broaden the scope of the prize. From Maso Stregozzi by Michele Sicher, which reinterprets the wooden rural dwelling with contemporary sensitivity, to the regeneration of the hamlet of Polaggia in Berbenno di Valtellina, where the project becomes a tool for urban repair and built memory. From T+T designed by Piraccini+Potente, a virtuous example of conscious demolition and reconstruction, to Punto Luce Gallaratese by Studio AOUMM, awarded by the PEFC supply chain for its social impact within a complex metropolitan context.
It is precisely this plurality of approaches that makes the Wood Architecture Prize a supply-chain award: not an individual celebration, but the recognition of an ecosystem made up of architects, engineers, researchers, clients, and designers. A network of expertise that demonstrates how technological innovation, when guided by an ethical and cultural vision, can translate into high-quality architecture.
As emphasized by Céline Faini, Brand Manager of Klimahouse, the message that clearly emerges is this: wood is not only an ecological choice, but a tool for building communities. Seeing schools and collective spaces awarded reminds us that sustainable architecture has a responsibility to care for both territories and the people who inhabit them. The Wood Architecture Prize 2026 highlights this vision, showing how the most authentic form of sustainability is one that generates shared well-being, leaving a mark that goes beyond the building itself and becomes rooted in everyday life.
Cover image: © Marco Parisi
All images courtesy of Klimahouse
